Today, I am here to talk to you about camera lenses and help you better understand which option is the best for you. In this Digital Camera Buying Guide you are going to learn what to look for and what features and/or functions you may not require. Everyone has their own personal needs, and in this article, I’m going to try to talk a bit about everything so everyone will have a basic idea of what to look for. The idea of having multiple lenses is to give you more options when it comes to taking photos. You’ll have different lenses for various occasions, which is going to optimize your picture quality to meet your standards.

Before we get started, I’m going to talk to you a little about some vocabulary that you are going to notice on digital camera web sites. Focal Length is the lens’ angle view. Aperture is the amount of light that is grabbed by the lens. Image Stabilization is what counteracts blurring. Format is used to describe the size of your sensor you are using and Lens Mount determines if the lens is going to physically fit on your camera or not.

The first way people describe a camera is by its focal length. There are zoom lenses, which are going to be represented by two numbers (such as 18-55mm) and there are fixed focal lenses which are going to be described by a single number because they don’t zoom. If you are mainly working with up close and personal shots, then you may not require a zoom.

An Aperture is the second thing usually used to describe a specific camera. These numbers will typically display as F4, f/4 or 1:4. The smaller the number, the bigger the lens’ maximum aperture (meaning more light comes in). The larger the aperture, the better your pictures are going to come out in darker settings. Although larger apertures are going to decrease the amount of depth of field. (Meaning, you’re not going to be able to distinguish distance as much in your photos). If you’re looking to isolate a single object in a photo and show a large amount of depth, you may want to go with a large aperture. You’ll also have the benefit of not needing to use flash to see in the evening or indoors.

Image Stabilization gets a bit confusing. You see, companies not only call it by different names (how confusing!) but they also incorporate it into their cameras completely differently as well. Pentax for example, has it in the body of the camera; while Canon builds it into their lenses. Here are a few of the most popular names for Image Stabilization: Vibration Reduction, Optical Steady Shot, Optical Stabilization and Vibration Control. They all mean exactly the same thing, so that should help you out quite a bit when you’re shopping and trying to compare features.

Now on to format. Most of the most affordable SLRs use APS-C sensors that are about 24mm x 16mm. Some cameras still use 35mm film negatives, which is about twice the size of the 24mm x 16mm and these are often called ‘full frame’. Most manufacturers nowadays make lenses that are optimized just for APS-C cameras and are great for your everyday use and wide angle zoom scenes.

Lens Mounts vary depending on the company. This is the company’s way of making sure you have to purchase their mount. While this can be a bit annoying, at least you’ll always know you’re getting something that fits your camera. This means, a Canon body cannot fit on Nexon and Sony cannot fit on Sigma. So, if you were thinking about buying one lens for multiple cameras, think again. That is, unless both cameras are from the same brand. A few examples are as follows: Canon’s EF-S lenses are designed for APS-C DSLRs and cannot be placed on cameras with larger sensors. All EF lenses can be used on APS-C DSLRs. With Sony, their Alpha SLR lenses can be used on NEX E-mount cameras through an adapter, although the autofocus is not going to work. In general, all new generation interchangeable lens compacts have a degree of compatibility with the corresponding brand’s SLR mount through the adaptor. There is typically going to be some decrease in performance.

There are also many different types of zooms available that offer you a wide range of options and pictures that are optimized to meet your personal needs. These include your Standard Zoom, Telephoto Zoom, Superzoom, Wideangle Zoom and Macro Lens. As I’m sure you can gather, Standard is meant for general use. Telephoto allows you to zoom in on a single target. Superzoom is for far away objects. Wideangle captures a large area and Macro is great for very small objects.